Laguna de Santa Rosa Vernal Pool Restoration Project
Summary
SCH Number
2022030714
Public Agency
California State Coastal Conservancy
(SCC)
Document Title
Laguna de Santa Rosa Vernal Pool Restoration Project
Document Type
NOE - Notice of Exemption
Received
Posted
3/25/2022
Document Description
Coastal Conservancy awarded 320,000 of Prop 68 Bay Area Climate Ready funds to the Laguna de Santa Rosa Foundation to enhance habitat, protect and increase endangered plant species populations, and engage local community in restoring and conserving five vernal pools on the Santa Rosa Plain.
This project is a multi-benefit project that will help vernal pool ecosystems adapt to rising temperatures and drought while also helping the surrounding human community adapt to the increased risk of destructive wildfire. This project leverages existing funding (from local, federal, and private sources) and ongoing collaborations to implement a project on 5 vernal pool properties throughout the Santa Rosa Plain. Project property owners and partners on this project will be the Sonoma Ag + Open Space District, the City of Santa Rosa, the City of Sebastopol, Sonoma Valley Regional Park, and the Earl Baum Center for the Blind.
The Laguna Foundation will collaborate with the various landowners to manage the thatch and invasive species at the fiver vernal pools (described in detail below) to ensure the long term survival of two particular endemic plant species on the Santa Rosa Plain, Sebastopol meadowfoam, and Sonoma sunshine, and expand outreach to the local community to inspire appreciation of these unique local wetlands. This project supports a growing partnership between local landowners, the City of Santa Rosa, Sonoma County, Sonoma Resource Conservation District, California Department of Fish and Wildlife, and the US Fish and Wildlife Service to improve the ability of the Santa Rosa Plains vernal pool ecosystems and human community to adapt to the unavoidable impacts of climate change by creating a ‘vernal pool management preserve’. This preserve consists of a combination of private and public properties that together support healthy metapopulations of the three endangered vernal pool plant species on the Santa Rosa Plain.
Contact Information
Name
Avra Heller
Agency Name
California State Coastal Conservancy
Job Title
Project Manager
Contact Types
Lead/Public Agency
Phone
Email
Location
Coordinates
Cities
Santa Rosa
Counties
Sonoma
Regions
San Francisco Bay Area
Cross Streets
Santa Rosa Plain, Sam Jones Hall
Zip
95407
Total Acres
72
Notice of Exemption
Exempt Status
Categorical Exemption
Type, Section or Code
Section 15304
Reasons for Exemption
A minor alteration to land consists of minor public or private alterations in
the condition of land, water and/or vegetation, which do not involve removal of healthy, mature, scenic trees except for forestry or agricultural purposes. This project involves removal of thatch and non-native vegetation on a small-scale using mowing, grazing, prescribed fire, and limited mechanical and chemical control measures. Native plants will be introduced to replace the removed vegetation as appropriate.
Attachments
Notice of Exemption
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